LOS ANGELES — When he signed a new, eight-year contract extension on July 18, valued at $47 million (a $5.875 million annual salary cap hit), Los Angeles Kings forward Dustin Brown provided another example of why he has become one of the most highly regarded captains in the National Hockey League.

You could even make a case for him being the best captain in Kings franchise history, even with the likes of Dave Taylor and Wayne Gretzky having worn the captain’s “C” for the Kings in years past.

No, Brown is not the demonstrative, loud, vocal captain who wears his emotions on his sleeve, traits that so many mistakenly believe are necessary to be a good captain.

Instead, Brown usually lets his actions do the talking, and negotiating his new contract extension on his own was a prime example of his leadership of the Kings.

“I think it’s well known that Brownie [negotiated] his own contract,” said Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi. “But the bigger thing, I think, is we’re starting to have all the blocks in place. We’re [a team] where a player truly wants to stay. Everything’s in place for him, in terms of a good team, a team that has a chance to win, is still relatively young, he’s very much adapted to Southern California, he wants his kids in school here. Every facet that a player looks at, in terms of where he wants to play, was in place. Now, it’s just a matter of coming to a fair number.”

INTERVIEW WITH DEAN LOMBARDI: In part 3 of a series of stories based on an interview with Los Angeles Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi, Frozen Royalty focuses on what Justin Williams is likely to contribute next season, as well as the higher expectations the 2009-10 Kings will face. Look for part 4 in this series coming soon.

EL SEGUNDO, CA — Despite seeing his team fail to qualify for post-season play for the sixth consecutive season, Los Angeles Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi expects his team to end that long drought in the 2009-10 season.

One glaring flaw with that expectation is that he seems be banking rather heavily on winger Justin Williams to not only provide a significant boost to the offense, but also to stay relatively healthy.

But Williams has hit the thirty-goal mark just twice in his career and has otherwise struggled just to remain in the lineup, suffering from a myriad of injuries, including two serious knee injuries, casting serious doubts on his ability to regain his thirty-goal form.

Indeed, the odds against Williams returning to form, let alone staying healthy, would seem to be very, very high, if not astronomical. Read more of this post

EL SEGUNDO, CA — If you thought the nightmare that was Dan Cloutier would never again emerge from the dark recesses of your mind, guess again.

Cloutier has returned to the Los Angeles Kings and will be on the roster for the team’s 2009-10 training camp, hoping to earn a roster spot.

On Wednesday, United States District Court Judge Harold Reese ruled that the Kings and the National Hockey League must reinstate Cloutier as a roster player, extend his contract through the 2009-10 season and pay him the full value of his contract through the end of his contract. Read more of this post

EL SEGUNDO, CA — Contrary to reports coming first out of Canada and then picked up by other media outlets, Los Angeles Kings center Jarret Stoll, who is an restricted free agent, has not been signed to a new contract…yet.

But calm down Kings fans. There is no cause for alarm, at least not according to the man doing the negotiating for the Kings. In fact, the Kings are quite confident about reaching contract agreements with all three of their restricted free agents, Stoll, left wing Patrick O’Sullivan and center Brad Richardson. Read more of this post

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